The Showdown
by Hope-ItsyBitsySpider
Summary: It's Suoh versus Conner; a showdown of a lifetime. Enter Artemis Fowl the second, the hopeless crushes of two boys and the power of a boy who holds more magic in his hands than he knows. Who will win love, and who will lose all?
1. Conner and Fowl

**The Showdown  
Chapter 1  
Conner and Fowl  
Disclaimer: Oops, I forgot. I make no profit off of either Artemis Fowl or Ouran Host Club. Though I do own like four volumes. 2, 3.. 5 and 7, I think. Maybe. I don't know! Stop asking! -whines-  
**  
xXx

It started on the evening of June 3rd, at exactly eight o'clock. The Ootoris were just sitting down for after-dinner tea, mostly to discuss things in the medical field (Kyoya always sat in so as to better understand what his family was up to should he need to do damage control for his own plans). Just as Kyoya was sitting down, there was a banging on the front door loud enough to reach them in the tea room.

His father gave him a look, as they all knew only one person in the entire universe who was stupid enough to come to the Ootori mansion at eight in the evening, banging like a maniac. Kyoya sighed and stood, waving away a maid that had been moving toward the door. She bowed and went elsewhere.

With an annoyed tic in his jaw, he went to the door and opened it. "Tamaki, give me one good reason why I shouldn't start looking for a place to hide your body," he growled.

For all of half a second, the irritating blond looked a strange mixture of frustrated and sheepish. Then the frustration won out and turned to full-blown annoyance. "This is important, Kyoya!" he retorted, looking like he was about to have a panic attack (or a stroke; whichever Kyoya could get away with without anyone noticing. Or caring).

"That is not a good reason," Kyoya said, wondering where that gun his father kept by the door had gone.

Tamaki rolled his eyes - he _actually_ had the _audacity_ to _roll_ his _eyes_ at _Kyoya_! - and crossed his arms. "Seriously. This is worse than... worse than... Than Lobelia. Or the twins. Or my grandmother!"

That gave Kyoya pause. Worse than his grandmother? Better yet, Tamaki was actually admitting (or implying) that his grandmother was a bitch? Fascinating. What could possibly freak the blond out enough to not think the world of his abusive grandmother, even if only for a second? "This had better be good," Kyoya sighed, stepping back to allow the blond entry. He waved dismissively at Akito, his older brother, before leading Tamaki upstairs to his room and out of respectable view.

As soon as the door was closed behind them, Tamaki collapsed onto Kyoya's bed (much to his annoyance) and began to babble. "I can't believe it. This is completely horrible. There's just no way... When Tomu told me, I didn't believe him but he proved itandthenIstartedtofreak andIcouldn'tthinkof whototellwhatwouldhappen it'sdrivingme_insane_andI-"

"Tamaki, I stopped understanding your rapid-fire speech at 'proved'," Kyoya said, assuming a false air of patience.

Tamaki groaned loudly. "Conner," he breathed.

Kyoya's brow furrowed, confusion sweeping his expression. "Conner? What are you talking about? Speak more coherently, you idiot."

Tamaki scowled at him. "One, Kyoya, I am _not_ an idiot. Two, just shut up and let me explain before you interrupt."

Kyoya blinked. He took it back. Tamaki wasn't freaked. He was terrified. So Kyoya remained silent, allowing Tamaki to continue. That would be the best course of action for now.

"I meant Conner. As in Conner Angela. As in the CEO of one of the biggest Western industries ever erected since Alaxander Graham Bell invented the telephone. As in-"

"I get it, Tamaki. Get to the point," Kyoya interrupted impatiently. Of course he knew who Conner Angela was. She was a prodigy, a genius. She was known everywhere, her face was on billboards from here to Timbuktu. She was gorgeous, coveted, loved... Her only downfall was that she was a manipulative bitch that didn't stop until she achieved her goal and she didn't care _who_ got hurt in the process. Many speculated that she was probably a demon. After all, with how famous and loved she was, only a demon could be like that and still be so... well, demonic.

Tamaki stood up and started to pace. "She's moving in on Suoh territory. On Japan."

Okay, now Kyoya understood why Tamaki was so afraid. This was definitely not good. The Ootoris were more or less safe, because Conner didn't deal with the medical field. But she did deal with transport, housing, hotels and technology. Three of which the Suohs more or less ran single-handedly here in Japan.

"Oh."

Tamaki spun to glare at him. "Oh? OH? Is that _all_ you can SAY!" he screeched, face red.

Kyoya glared at him until his stepped down. "Yes. I don't know what to tell you, Tamaki. As far as I know, you're the only one in the club that will be threatened by this."

Tamaki groaned again and flopped back down onto the bed. "I just don't know what to do. Grandmother and father have been in a meeting with the 'round table' since this morning. Arguing. I saw father around one, and he looked older than he's ever looked. Like his charisma was... lacking. He was so tired..."

Kyoya sighed and sat down beside Tamaki. "I'm sorry. I'm sure things will be figured out." His hands were tied. He couldn't interfere. If he did, Conner might target him and the Ootoris.

"I understand," Tamaki said hollowly. He looked deflated from his tantrum. He clearly didn't know what he should do.

Guess this bind was turning out to be something he might not be able to get out of.

xXx

Haruhi sighed as she got home from the store. The summer heat was stifling, and as far as she was concerned, she could do without it. Things had slowed since school was out, though the host club still found ways to annoy her on a bi-daily basis. She didn't particularly mind, but she did wish they'd tone the stupidity down a bit. If only for, like, five hundred years. Or forever.

Shaking her head, she stopped by the mail-box on the wall beside her door and pulled out the four or five envelopes and a yellow folder from Fed-Ex. The folder was addressed to her and she tucked it under her arm before glancing at the rest. Three bills, a letter from one of her dad's friends addressed to both of them (they usually were, but she never read them) and a letter addressed to her.

She grinned. It was from her pen-pal. She'd gotten bored one day a month before school ended and had been going through the magazines on the coffee table in the livingroom. She caught sight of an ad that advertised a pen-pal service. First five letters - both back and forth - were free, then you had to pay a 139Y weekly subscription fee. She'd sent a letter in and gotten one back by a boy with the pen-name "Aurum Potestas Est" (which she'd later learned meant 'Gold is Power').

After explaining that she didn't feel comfortable writing through a service, she got his address and they'd begun writing through regular mail. He actually lived in Ireland, but aside from that, and his apparent interest in gold, she didn't know much about him. Oh, and he was seriously intelligent.

They talked about everything from literature to history to science and she loved every minute of it. He was like a goldmine of knowledge. He knew pretty much everything on anything and vice versa.

Apparently, he found her fascinating to talk to as well, otherwise he wouldn't continue to write.

With a brighter grin upon her reflection, she picked the groceries back up and carried everything inside, quickly putting away the food she bought before setting the bills and her father's letter on the counter and escaping with her things to her room. She ignored the folder, tossing it on her dresser as she shut the door behind her, and immediately began tearing into the envelope of the letter.

Sitting, she began to read the shorter-than-normal letter.

_'Hostu-Noh,_

_You mentioned in your last letter that you liked to read plays. I have quite a collection of Shakespearean plays here at my home; I too enjoy reading them. I do apologize for the shortness of this particular missive. But in the next few days (or perhaps the day you receive this letter), you will be getting a Fed-Ex package. Inside is one of the aforementioned plays; I currently have three copies, not counting the one I am sending you._

_For all the birthdays and Christmases I missed not knowing you,_

_Aurum Potestas Est._

_PS: To make up for the shortness of this letter, I have included another of like length with the play._'

Haruhi blinked and looked up at the package on her dresser. After half a second where she merely stared at it in disbelief, she got to her feet and quickly snatched it up. It was indeed from the same PO Box that Aurum usually sent his letters from. Eagerly, she opened the package and pulled out the letter first, unfolding it and reading it.

_'Hostu-Noh,  
__  
I hope this made it to you. You never really know when it comes to packages. At any rate, I thought you'd enjoy an ironic comedy, so please enjoy The Comedy of Errors._

_I hope you like it,_

_Aurum Potestas Est._

_PS: I know I said 'like length'. Apparently, I'm a liar as well as a genius. Ta._'

Haruhi chuckled at that last bit. Ego-much? But still, she did appreciate the gesture. It was very sweet. Shaking her head, she wrote up a reply, thanking him for the gift and expressing her regret that she didn't know what to give him in return (at least, nothing she could afford). She told him about the twins' latest prank on Tamaki, she expressed her concerns over Tamaki's infatuation with her (she wasn't _that_ oblivious), and how Hani offered to give her self-defense lessons because of the mugging that had happened down the street last Saturday. Finally, she ended the letter on a thankful note.

_'And really, I do appreciate the gift. It's very sweet of you. Thank you very much. I'll see what I can do about getting ahold of a recipe or two. My Japanese onigiri isn't too bad (though, only my father has eaten it and he spazzes over everything I cook, so there's no telling for sure), so I'll send you the recipe for it and you can make it. Or have your cooks make it. Either/or._

_Ja ne,  
Hostu-Noh._'

He'd never expressly said he was wealthy enough to have cooks, but he spoke about common things the way Tamaki or Kyoya would (though perhaps with a touch more disdain than either of her friends would), so it wasn't hard to figure out. Briefly, she wondered what he'd think about her deducing the fact that he was wealthy, then shook the thought away, wrote up the aforementioned recipe and fetched an envelope. She put the sealed and addressed letter in the mailbox before starting dinner.

Ranka would be home in an hour.

xXx

Haruhi collapsed into bed after dinner that night and curled up with the play. It was in English, but they'd been writing in English since their third letter, so both knew she could read it easily. She thumbed idly through the pages, smiling slightly, until she came to the back and a small piece of paper fell out. Curious, she reached out and picked it up off her stomach, flipping it over.

_'I'll be in Japan from the 2nd to the 4th. If I am not able to meet you before I leave at 9PM on the 4th, I will not be able to stay any longer. Hurry._' There was a hotel address listed as well, but when she glanced at the clock, she guessed the airport would be a better idea. It was already 7:30.

In the span of five minutes, she was out the door and into a cab she'd called over. She paid the fare in advanced and sat back, fingers tapping impatiently as the cab slowly went on it's way. She checked her watch. 7:45. "Can't we get there faster?" she demanded after a moment.

The cab driver quirked a brow at her but shrugged and pulled off onto a side street, where he wasn't stuck behind traffic.

It still wasn't fast enough, and they arrived at the airport five to nine. She burst out of the cab and ran into the airport, only then realizing she didn't know what Aurum looked like. _Look for well-dressed people; wealthy_, she told herself, scanning the room.

Nothing. Another thought struck her and she went up to a woman seated behind a random desk. "Is there a terminal for private planes?" she asked. Rich people seemed to favor them, after all...

The woman blinked, then smiled. "Oh. You must be the girl he said to watch out for."

Haruhi blinked. "Has he left?"

She shook her head, looking past Haruhi. "Nope. In fact, here he is."

Haruhi stilled, suddenly aware that someone stood behind her. She blinked, wide-eyed, at the woman, who was grinning slightly (she likely thought this was some sort of romantic display, which was so far off that Haruhi nearly laughed at the very thought). Curiously, she turned around and looked up at the vaguely tall boy (well, he was short by Western standards, but about average around Japan). He peered right back down at her, expression closed, bordering on frosty, but she got the impression that he was as curious as she.

Clearing her throat, she asked the blue-eyed, black-haired youth hopefully, "Um... A-Aurum Potestas Est?"

A small smile touched his mouth. "Hostu-Noh? Yes. I'm glad you made it. Did you just get the letter today?"

Haruhi laughed sheepishly. "Well, yeah, actually. I did. I didn't actually look at the play until about 7:30." Give or take.

"Ah. Then that would explain why you're late."

She scowled. "I left as soon as I read the note, smart ass."

"Why thank you."

"Oh, Gods," she muttered, then shook her head and smiled. "So, you have to leave?"

But he shook his head and took her arm, threading it through his as he lead her away from the counter, toward a very big man on the other side of the room. "No. Now I have an excuse to stay. Do you mind telling me your name?"

Haruhi nodded, eying the big man curiously. "I'm Haruhi. Haruhi Fujioka," she said, switching from the Japanese they'd been using to English.

He smiled a little once again. It was a strange, almost knowing, little half smile that lit a devilish gleam in his eyes. She thought about calling him on it, but decided against it. "Artemis Fowl. My name is Artemis Fowl. The second."

xXx

**Could that be considered a cliffy? Lmao. R&R!**


	2. Lines are Drawn

**The Showdown  
Chapter 2  
Lines are Drawn**

**Disclaimer: Ouran Highschool Host Club and Artemis Fowl, and their characters do not belong to me. They are the property of Eoin Colfer and Hatori Bisco-san and all associated thus.  
By the same token, this story does not belong to anyone else, and as such, and elements not associated with OHSHC and AF, or the authors respectively, are by proxy mine to do with as I please. Do not take and reuse, redistribute or warp in any manner. Thank you.**

Posted: 9/26/10

Edited: 2/18/13

xXx

She stared into her mirror, running slim fingers through auburn hair dyed dark brown. The roots were starting to show. She frowned and picked at the ends of her hair. And split ends...

"James!" she shouted angrily, spinning around and glaring at the bathroom door until it opened. "Call my hairstylist," she snapped. "My hair's being a pain in the ass again. I can't have it looking like this tonight."

James, the elderly man she trusted more than anyone else in the world, bowed. He gave her a slight smile and turned away. "Your tea is on the nightstand in your room, Miss Angela," he said over his shoulder before going to do as he was bid.

She watched him go, green eyes flashing curiously. Then she turned back to the mirror and stared at the woman there. Shoulder-length hair, piercings in just the lobes of her ears, wearing an off-white satin nightgown. A woman. A beautiful woman. Intimidating, unconquerable... young. "You're amazing," she told the woman in the mirror. "You'll do what it takes. You'll bring Suoh down... and you'll rule the monetary world." She smiled confidently, lifting her chin.

"They won't last five days against you."

xXx

Haruhi was yawning when her father burst into her room in the middle of her changing for the first day of school, one week later. "HARUHI!" he screeched, then lowered his voice quite dramatically. "There's a _gaijin_ here! He says he's giving you a ride- Haruhi, did you get aboyfriendandnottelldaddy!?"

She blinked at him, eyes wide. "A... a boyfriend?" she asked, quite used to translating panicked too-fast-for-normal-people-to-understand speech. She stared at him in disbelief for a moment longer before putting down her over-shirt and calmly shoving him from her room. She slammed the door shut in his face, muttering about stupidity this early in the morning.

When she finally left her room (not long after that, as she'd hurried for fear that her father might do something stupid), she found them in the living room. Luckily, Artemis hadn't brought his bodyguard, Butler, in with him. He sat on the couch, sipping tea (Haruhi managed to shove down the suspicion that it may be poisoned tea) and ignoring her father's glaring. They both looked up at her entrance.

"_Hi_," she said to Artemis in English, hoping her father didn't know it (though they'd never discussed anything like language before). "_How was the night in the hotel?_"

Artemis rose and bowed. "_It was quite fine. They were surprised to see me again so soon. Thankfully, they hadn't rerented my room._"

"... I _can_ understand most of what you're saying," Ranka muttered, pouting petulantly.

Artemis smiled dryly, switching to Japanese. "Ah, very well. I wonder, Haruhi-san, do you know French? Or perhaps German? I can play the language game quite well." He winked at her.

Haruhi snickered. "No. I don't know either. I know a tiny bit of Korean, though. I was helping a friend practice it for a while, but she moved to Hokkaido so I haven't really learned any more since." She shrugged. "So what are you doing here, Artemis-sempai?"

He lifted a brow at the honorific - not for the presence of it, but for the choice of which honorific to use - but didn't comment on it. "I decided I simply could not wait until this evening to continue yesterday's conversation, so I will give you a ride this morning."

"You will, will you?" she asked with a slight smile. "Oh, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. What kind of car?"

"I favor Bentleys," he replied, leading her out the door.

"Haruhi!" Ranka gasped. "What about breakfast?"

She hesitated, looking back over her shoulder at her father, then smiled a little. "Can you wait for a little bit, Artemis-sempai? I don't want to miss breakfast with my father."

He nodded. "Yes, of course," he agreed, stepping outside and leaving her to it.

xXx

The doors of the second Suoh mansion opened with a bang, slamming against the opposite walls hard enough to crack the wall and rattle the doors on their hinges. "That _bitch_!" Suoh Yuzuru snapped, reaching out in a fit of anger and swiping everything off of the key table near the doors.

He took three steps past it, then returned to kick it. That done, he stomped past the gaping staff and got halfway up the stairs when he noticed his teenaged son, standing at the top, gaping like the rest of them. The blond was pale with shock, fingers barely holding onto what appeared to be a tray with tea and cake on it.

Yuzuru froze, realizing where he was. He'd been on autopilot ever since he'd left the office, acting through a haze of blind fury. Now he stood before his son, showing him a side of him that he never wanted the young man to see. Taking in a deep breath, he ran his hand roughly up and down his face once, then covered his eyes and leaned against the banister, shaking with the effort to contain himself. "Tamaki," he muttered, voice hoarse. "I'm sorry."

There was a soft click, like Tamaki had set the tray down on the glass-topped table at the top of the stairs. Then his son was near him, placing a gentle hand on his father's shoulder. "Hani-sempai's here with Mori-sempai. Would you like to have tea and cake with us, tosan?" he asked quietly.

Yuzuru met his son's gentle gaze and let out a sigh, relaxing with startling rapidity. Like his son's mere presence calmed him down. "Sure, Tamaki. I'd like that," he murmured with a slight smile.

Tamaki's violet gaze narrowed slightly as he smiled brightly. "Great! I'm sure they'll be glad to see you!"

Yuzuru chuckled. "Yeah. The highlight of their days is meeting someone's old wrinkly father," he replied dryly.

Tamaki rolled his eyes and struck a pose. "Ha! As if! You're so young and handsome, you're practically my twin!" he declared, a touch arrogantly.

Yuzuru laughed outright at that. "Riiigghhhttt. Okay, okay. Let's go join them before they start wondering where you went."

"But..." Tamaki looked down, taking a deep breath. "First... Was it... Conner?"

Yuzuru went rigid. Of course Tamaki had heard about her... He sighed. "Yeah. She's moving in on our territory. Today, she bought out five car dealerships. Five, Tamaki! That... that demon..." He growled softly.

Tamaki touched his shoulder. "It'll be okay. We'll kick her ass," he said, eyes glinting.

Yuzuru laughed. "Yeah, we will. Now watch your language. C'mon; we have cake to eat."

"And tea," Tamaki reminded him.

"That too."

xXx

Thankfully, Kyoya had heard about the dealerships before school was out, and when Tamaki was about to try climbing through his bedroom window at ten to eleven, he was already looking up at the second floor from the garden, flashlight on and shining on the blond. "What... the hell... are you doing?" demanded the Ootori, twitching. "If I hadn't told the security guard that you were an acquaintance, our police would be shooting you down right now."

Tamaki turned his torso around, eyes big and watery as he clung to the rose trellis. "K-Kyoya! L-looking out for me... so nice... so nice..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a good Samaritan. Now get your ass down before I sic Lucky and Pogo on you," the darker-haired boy snapped, glaring irritably.

Tamaki perked, starting to climb down. "Dogs?"

"The security guards," Kyoya replied thinly, motioning toward the two beefy guards in the shadows when Tamaki glanced at him in shock. "Get. Down."

"Y-yes, _Kage Oo-sama_," Tamaki whimpered and scrambled the rest of the way down.

Kyoya twitched again. Now Tamaki was picking that nickname up? That moron! What the hell? "Just... Uhg. Let's go inside before I decide to kill you myself," he growled, ignoring his bodyguards and stalking toward the garden entrance to the house.

Twenty minutes later, he set down his cup of tea as Tamaki burst into helpless tears (he was beginning to feel like some sort of therapist trying to console a teenage girl whose boyfriend just broke up with her). He'd almost call this 'the five stages', except Tamaki had skipped denial and gone from anger straight into depression. As only an idiot could. The slightly younger boy sighed. "I see. So your father got upset..."

Tamaki sniffled and blew his nose in a tissue. "Y-yes..."

The Ootori boy laced his fingers together and propped his chin on them, elbows braced on the table. He looked up at the blond, meeting his eyes over the top of his glasses. "And what are _you_ going to do about this woman? It couldn't possibly bring about anything worse than she already plans on doing."

Tamaki sighed and lowered the tissue, closing his eyes. "I don't know... I just... I wish... I wish there was some way I could just..." He gestured helplessly, not quite meeting his best friend's eyes as he glanced around the room. "Just... poof! Make it all disappear! Like... magic or... something. I don't know. I know it sounds silly... I just don't know what to do..." He shrugged, looking down.

"This woman is heartless and cruel. Ruthless, right?" Kyoya asked, sitting up to consider his friend. "She'll do anything to get what she wants, probably even kill. Slander your reputation, seduce your workers, make 'accidents' happen... That's the sort of woman Conner is. So..." He leaned back against the smooth leather of his white couch, smirking. "Perhaps it's time to 'get down and dirty'. Fight fire with fire. Crush her... as she would do and plans to do with you." He clapped his hands loudly, startling the stunned blond into attentiveness. "Kill her. Metaphorically, of course. We wouldn't want a murder on your hands."

"K... Kyoya, you..." Tamaki closed his mouth and swallowed. "You're..."

"Mm. Just suggest it to your father. Take him aside, tell him what you should do. Obviously, whatever it is _he's_ doing... simply isn't working."

"Yeah..." Tamaki just continued to stare at the other boy. Amazing. Kyoya was amazing. Ruthless if crossed, but amazing nonetheless. He smiled. "I'll talk to him about it."

xXx

"You know that Conner woman you outwitted two years ago?"

Artemis looked up distractedly from his laptop, staring at his manservant for a moment before the words registered. "Conner? Ah, Angela Conner, right?" he asked, blinking. "What about her?"

Butler shrugged, checking his equipment. "I heard she's here in Japan, that's all. Apparently, she's taking the local turf. Completely demolishing the competition- like usual. The woman never changes."

Artemis chuckled at that. "Ah, probably not. I'll have to admit, she's become far more successful since we last had a chat. Perhaps I inspired her?" he mused ruefully, turning most of his attention back to the laptop in front of him.

Butler snorted. "More like you infuriated her and stomped on her pride."

"Well, there's that," Artemis chortled. His eyes flickered over to his phone half a second before it rang. "Ah, a phone call...?"

"Think it's her?" Butler asked, clearly teasing him. "Answer it."

Artemis glowered at his friend. "Oh shush," he muttered, but lifted the phone to his ear and answered it. "Hello?"

"_Artemis Fowl the Second?_" a voice said. Though speaking English, the male on the other end was clearly Japanese. Artemis placed the accent instantly.

But then he frowned. Only three people in the world had this number; Butler, who was in the room with him, his father and now Haruhi. None of which were a Japanese male. "_Moshimoshi_," he greeted smoothly, deciding to grab the upper ground immediately. "_Otetsudai shimashoka_?"

There was amusement in the other male's voice. "_Hai, Fowl-sama. Watakushi wa iru majikku_. I was told you could assist me with a little enterprise," the stranger said, apparently undaunted by Artemis' deduction of his nationality. Interesting. However, this _magic_ business made the prodigy a bit uneasy. Magic...

"What sort of enterprise?" Artemis asked, feigning mild interest. He'd get the answers he needed, foremost being, was this stranger talking about true or metaphorical magic?

Only time would tell.

xXx

**Translation Notes:  
**_**Moshimoshi**_**: A greeting (Hello) on the telephone.  
**_**Otetsudai shimashoka**_**: How can I help you?  
**_**Sempai**_**: Upperclassman  
**_**Gaijin**_**: Foreigner  
**_**Hai**_**: Yes.  
**_**Sama**_**: Honorific usually used to refer to someone you highly respect, or is of greater status than you.  
**_**San**_**: Honorific usually used to refer to someone you are familiar with. This is the best honorific to use with strangers, or people you don't know well. It is considered polite, but not overly so.  
**_**Watakushi wa iru majikku**_**: (roughly) I need magic. **_**Watakushi**_** is used instead of '**_**watashi**_**', '**_**ore**_**' or '**_**boku**_**' to keep the speech polite but formal.  
**_**Kage Oo-sama**_**: (roughly) Shadow King. I don't know what it is that they use in the show; if anyone knows it, let me know.**


	3. Alliances are Made

**The Showdown  
Chapter 3  
Alliances are Made  
Disclaimer: Ouran Highschool Host Club and Artemis Fowl, and their characters do not belong to me. They are the property of Eoin Colfer and Hatori Bisco-san and all associated thus.  
By the same token, this story does not belong to anyone else, and as such, and elements not associated with OHSHC and AF, or the authors respectively, are by proxy mine to do with as I please. Do not take and reuse, redistribute or warp in any manner. Thank you.**

xXx

The Host Club all looked up from their various tables when the doors of the third music room opened, as they did all throughout the sessions. This time, though, there was a... a slight uneasy feeling for all of them. Seeing the person standing there, Kyoya smiled slightly and returned his attention to his laptop. Tamaki squeaked and scrambled to his feet, paling quite a bit. The rest of the host club seemed oblivious to the identity of their intruder...

Except Haruhi. Kyoya was expecting her gasp of recognition when it came, and even the clatter of the tray in her hands as she dropped it (he added the price of the broken dishes to her debt). She stepped over the tray and walked across the room, slowly approaching Artemis Fowl on the other side of it.

"Artemis-sempai?" she asked, stopping in front of him. "_You're_ the new student?"

xXx

_Meiji Shrine, Shibuya, Tokyo. 12:56 AM, one day and 15 hours previously.._.

Though the shrine was supposed to be closed at night, there was no one there to stop Artemis as he arrived and entered. His footsteps were bare wisps of sound as he traveled down the dark, open hallways toward the area specified in his phone call with his mysterious contact.

He went to the central sanctuary, where they were to meet. Butler kept to the shadows, invisible to the naked eye. As the prodigy stepped into the large, mostly open courtyard that held the shrine dedication for Emperor Meiji and his Empress Shoken, he looked around the immediate vicinity. No sign of anyone else...

"Are you late?" he said loudly, smirking.

"Only _one_ man, Artemis Fowl?" an amused Asian voice asked, in English. "_Namaiki_."

A young Japanese boy stepped from the shadows on the opposite side of the courtyard. He was dressed casually, in a pair of khaki slacks, black shoes and a pale pink button up shirt. It was left open, revealing the white undershirt beneath it. He lifted a hand, glancing at his watch. "Ah, right on time. I suppose that'll have to do," he commented airily, reaching up to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose, making them flash despite the limited lighting.

Artemis eyed the boy, confident in his bodyguard despite the other's implication that he had more men around. "I seem to be at somewhat of a disadvantage. You know who I am, but I have yet to learn your name."

The bespectacled youth smirked, apparently feeling safe since he _seemed_ to have the upper hand. "I'm surprised you didn't track my call and identify me when I contacted you... but then you were probably not expecting me to call on that number."

_Correct. Interesting lad, this one is. My age, too_, Artemis mused, but didn't let his thoughts show on his face. Instead, he smiled like an adult at a child that was being predictable and silly. "Yes, this is true." He saw nervous shifting in the shadows. "Perhaps your acquaintance would like to join us?"

A blond boy, not entirely Japanese though he appeared to be at least part, stepped into the semi-light beside his friend. He looked to be the same age, perhaps about seventeen. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a black shirt that said 'Kiss Me, I'm Irish (slip me some tongue, I'm also part French)'. A bit in poor taste, but then Artemis had never been a fan of 'casual clothes'.

The blond gave Artemis a slightly uncertain wave, looking like he really didn't want to be there. "_O-Ohayo. Watashi wa... Tamaki desu_."

Artemis gave a slight bow in deference to the blond's politeness. "_Watashi wa Fowl Artemis no Daini desu_," he replied and returned his attention to Tamaki's friend, as he was clearly the orchestrator of this little meeting. "And you?"

The boy chuckled. "I'm Kyoya Ootori. It's a pleasure, Master Fowl."

Ootori? As in Ootori Group? This was just getting better and better. Artemis gave them his an indulgent smile. "Now, you've obviously asked me here for a reason. How about we stop posturing and get down to business, yes?"

Kyoya bowed slightly. "Of course. Like I said on the phone, I need a little 'magic', as Tamaki has put it. We have a little... issue with a competitor. Or, to be specific, Tamaki has the issue. After hearing that you were in town, I got curious. I happen to know that the only person our competitor has ever lost to would be you..."

The foreigner scoffed. "I thought so. This is about Conner, then, is it? Rather venomous woman, isn't she?" The Irish youth shifted his weight back onto his heels and glanced sky-ward, eying a barely noticeable shimmer in the air. "You know... she wasn't quite so ruthless back when I first met her. I think I may have 'inspired' her, even..."

Kyoya's eyes narrowed, flickering upward as if wondering what he was looking at. Then he looked back at Artemis' face, to find the _gaijin_ looking back at him, piercing blue eyes glinting. He returned the other boy's look with an utterly polite smile. "Oh? You had such a profound effect on her, did you? I wonder if you'll have such an effect on Haruhi."

Artemis' eyes narrowed at that, all traces of humor leaving his face. Before he could say anything, the blond Tamaki started and turned to stare at Kyoya. "_N-nani?! Naze wa Haruhi-_"

"_Tamaki damare._"

The blond fell silent and glanced at Artemis, this time his expression fully closed and suspicious. These boys knew Haruhi, did they? And Tamaki seemed to be attached to her in some way... His curiosity successfully piqued (as he was sure had been Kyoya's entire purpose for bringing the blond along), Artemis returned the polite smile.

"Oh, I see. Well, then I must assure you I have no intention of affecting her in such a manner. To prove it, I shall assist you in whatever way possible to rid yourself of this pretty temptress you're clashing with. Shall that be good?" He'd need to keep an eye on the boy, after all. Just for a while.

Kyoya beamed back. "Yes. Perhaps, as a cover, you should use the foreign transfer program to go to Ouran High, hm?"

"No doubt you already have the papers prepared," Artemis returned.

Tamaki looked back and forth between Artemis and Kyoya, a little scared of the very polite, happy smiles on their faces. Oh dear gods... It was a Shadow King twin.

xXx

And thus, they were here, standing in the third music room a day, fourteen hours and forty minutes later. "_You're_ the new student?" Haruhi asked in Japanese, staring up at her friend.

Artemis offered her an amused smirk. "Yes, Haruhi, I am," he responded in kind.

"Oi! That's 'Haruhi-san' to you, mister," the twins said, instantly riling up at his unnecessary familiarity with her. They swept up beside her and practically draped themselves over her sides. Kaoru nuzzled just behind her ear, glaring at him, as his twin demanded hotly, "Who are you to be so familiar with _our_ Haruhi?"

Haruhi sighed, but was unable to interject as Kaoru added, "We've never even _heard_ of you. You can't call her by just her name."

Artemis eyed them with open curiosity. "Ah, I apologize for the offense... Do _you_ mind just the name, Haruhi?" he asked, turning back toward her with a strange smile.

"Honestly? A little. But it doesn't really bother me that much. I think they're overreacting a little..." She shrugged and gave the twins an annoyed look.

Artemis bowed deeply. "Then I shall refer to you with an honorific, Haruhi-_kun_," he said, somehow aware of her status as a 'boy' in the school.

She wasn't really surprised by his knowing, though. He was a genius, and he'd probably heard about 'Haruhi-kun' somewhere and deduced that they thought she was a boy. Or something. She sighed and abandoned the line of thought, before shrugging off her friends. "Alright, alright. Enough, you two. Um, is there anything I can do for you, Artemis-sempai?"

He glanced toward the twins as they slinked back a few steps. "I had merely wished to come say hello," he replied, seemingly oblivious of the stares from the girls within the club.

Haruhi frowned and glanced around. "Erm, well, it's club hours right now, so..."

Bowing, Artemis smiled at her. "Of course. I hope you'll be able to join me for lunch tomorrow? I'll bring that book you requested."

The disguised girl lit up at that. "Oh, that'd be great! Thank you, sempai. I'd love to eat with you." She beamed brightly up at him, and said goodbye before parting ways.

Moments later, each of the Host members were surrounded by the curious fangirls, enduring almost too many questions to keep up with. Kyoya was forced to announce at large that no, the 'strange pale boy' would not be joining the club, setting many of them at ease.

Haruhi didn't personally see what their problem with Artemis was. He was nice! And smart, which was definitely a plus. And... okay, so he could kind of be creepy sometimes. But... She sighed. _I get it. Picky rich girls._

It wouldn't have bothered her so much, admittedly, if the opinions of the crowd wasn't divided neatly in half. One group expressed their distaste for his manner and looks. The other were interested in him for his _status_ and money.

_Honestly, how can people be so __**shallow?**_ she thought broodingly as she helped clean up after hours. She didn't have time to debate it, though, because the twins returned.

"Haruhi!" they whined in stereo. "Who was that?! Why did you let him be so disrespectful?!"

"How do you _know him_!" Hikaru burst out above his brother.

The brunette fixed them both with an annoyed glare. "I fail to see how any of that is your _business_," she replied firmly. "So butt out of mine, would you?"

The two cringed back to stare at her in horror, and she sighed. Now they were going to pester her. "We're just penpals, okay? I met him through a service. He's my _friend_, now stop acting like I'm a delinquent child with a fetish for bad boys!"

They both lit up with twisted delight, and Haruhi mentally winced. _Bad choice of wording_! she thought in dismay.

Luckily, for her, Tamaki stepped up beside her before they could speak. "Alright, you hooligans! Get back to work. We have to clean up!" He waved his arms at them and chased them away, before returning to her side and eying her a beat.

Haruhi waited, mostly for what seemed like an inevitable question. It never came. Instead, the blond gave her a wan grin and went back to his own clean-up chores. The girl stared after him in surprise, not sure what to think about his sudden... almost _understanding_.

_Am I missing something?_

xXx

**Translation Notes:  
**_**Namaiki**_**: Cocky.  
**_**Ohayo**_**: Good morning (polite)  
**_**Watashi wa **_**(name)**_** desu**_**: 'My name is'... or 'I am'...  
**_**Watashi wa**_** Fowl Artemis **_**no Daini desu**_**: I am Artemis Fowl the Second.  
**_**Nani**_**: What?  
**_**Naze wa Haruhi**_**...: 'What has Haruhi' or 'why is Haruhi'  
**_**Tamaki damare**_**: Shut up, Tamaki**


End file.
